The subject matter disclosed herein relates to gas treatment systems, and, more particularly, to heat exchange in gas treatment systems.
Gas treatment may be used in refineries, petrochemical plants, natural gas processing plants, or other industries. For example, gas treatment may be used in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants to treat synthesis gas, i.e., syngas. Specifically, solvents may be used to absorb gases, such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) or carbon dioxide (CO2), from the syngas in a gas treatment unit. The gas treatment unit typically may include one or more distillation columns. One or more of these columns may include a heat exchanger to remove heat from the solvent using a coolant, which may be cooled by a refrigeration system. Unfortunately, use of the refrigeration system may decrease the efficiency of the power plant and/or increase the capital expenditures associated with the power plant.